Understanding impacts of organic contaminants from aquaculture on the marine environment using a chemical fate model

Shan Niu; Ruiwen Chen; Kimberly J Hageman; Rebecca M McMullin; Stephen R Wing; Carla A Ng

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130090

Understanding impacts of organic contaminants from aquaculture on the marine environment using a chemical fate model

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Feb 5;443(Pt A):130090. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130090. Epub 2022 Oct 3.

Authors

Shan Niu¹, Ruiwen Chen¹, Kimberly J Hageman², Rebecca M McMullin³, Stephen R Wing³, Carla A Ng⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
² Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA. Electronic address: kim.hageman@usu.edu.
³ Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand.
⁴ Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Environmental & Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.

PMID: 36279653
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130090

Abstract

As demand for sustainable marine aquaculture (mariculture) and marine food supply surges worldwide, there is a growing need for new tools to assess mariculture impacts on local ecosystems, including the cycling of toxic organic contaminants. With this in mind, we developed the Contaminant Fate in Aquaculture-Modified Ecosystems (CFAME) model. The current model was designed to explore the fate of mariculture-derived organic contaminants in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, known for its Chinook salmon farming industry. Model evaluation indicated robust model design, with 80% of modeled concentrations falling within a factor of ten of measured ones for native biota. Model results showed that mariculture was a source of organic contaminants in the sediment even at the Marlborough Sounds regional level and in wild marine fishes with high trophic levels near the farm area. Future research attention should be directed toward measuring chemicals with low log K_AW (<0) and high log K_OW values (e.g., >3) in sediment, and chemicals with log K_OW values of 3-9 in wild fish.

Keywords: Aquaculture impact; Contaminant fate and behavior; Food web bioaccumulation; Multimedia environmental modeling; Pesticides; Polychlorinated biphenyls.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Aquaculture
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Fishes
Food Chain
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / toxicity

Substances

Water Pollutants, Chemical